GOURMET SNAILS

RECIPES

Snails and Spinach Traume

2 doz Silver Trail snails, 2 bunches fresh spinach, 60 gms feta cheese, 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced, 25g onion finely chopped, 25g pine nuts, 25ml pernod.

Sauté onion in butter until transparent over medium heat. Add pine nuts, garlic and sauté for 1 minute, then add spinach and sauté until limp. Add snails and remaining ingredients, sauté for 1 minute and remove from heat. Chill or serve hot.

Fried Chicken Soup Snails

1 doz Silver Trail snails, 1 egg lightly beaten, ¼ cup flour seasoned with pepper, 1 sachet powdered chicken soup , Rice bran oil for shallow frying.

Drain and pat dry snails, Roll the snails in the flour and dust off excess. Then drop them into the beaten egg and make sure they are all covered. Finally roll them in the powdered chicken soup. Chill in the fridge for about 30mins. Heat enough oil in pan to shallow fry and then fry the snails for 1-2 minutes or until golden. Serve with light chilli dipping sauce. (This is equally nice replacing the chicken noodle soup with a dhukkar mix of your choice)

Filet of Escargot

8 pastry shells in the form of a cup, 4 doz Silver Trail snails, 500ml milk, 35g flour, 35g butter, 15g blue cheese, 100mls dry white wine, Salt, pepper and nutmeg.

The day before your dinner, drain the snails and marinate in the wine overnight. On the day, make a light béchamel sauce by melting the butter over a medium heat and then stirring in the flour to form a roux. Gradually add the milk, stirring all the time to stop lumps forming, to make the sauce. Season well with salt, pepper and some grated nutmeg. Lightly warm the pastry shells in a tepid oven. Heat the snails in the wine with a pinch of salt. Drain the snails and distribute them among the pastry shells, and keep them in the warmed oven. Crumble the blue cheese and mix it with the béchamel sauce, which should be kept hot. Pour the mixture into the pastry shells. Place the filled pastry shells on the plates with a spoonful of sauce on the bottom with a small sprig of chervil and a cherry tomato on each plate. Eat very hot with the rest of the bottle of white wine.

Snail in Mushroom caps

26 Silver Trail snails, 26 mushrooms caps, cleaned and stalks removed, 2tbls onion minced, 225g butter melted, ¼ tsp lemon juice, 2 tbls garlic powder.

Sauté minced onion in ¼ cup of butter, then add lemon juice. Place snails in mushroom caps (in individual dishes) and spoon over the onion and butter mixture. Sprinkle lightly with half the garlic powder, and let stand for 2 hours. Pour remaining butter and garlic powder over mushrooms then bake at 180c for 10-15 mins. Serve with garlic toast.

Hand Harvested in Hawke's Bay